Editing Monsoon (section)

=== Europe ===
{{See also|Climate of Europe}}

The '''European Monsoon''' (more commonly known as the '''return of the westerlies''') is the result of a resurgence of westerly winds from the Atlantic, where they become loaded with wind and rain.<ref>Visser, S.W. (1953). Some remarks on the European monsoon. Birkhäuser: Basel.</ref> These westerly winds are a common phenomenon during the European winter, but they ease as spring approaches in late March and through April and May. The winds pick up again in June, which is why this phenomenon is also referred to as "the return of the westerlies".<ref>{{cite news|author=Leo Hickman|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/09/weather.europe|title=The Question: What is the European monsoon?|access-date=2009-06-09|date=2008-07-09|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130902125943/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/09/weather.europe|archive-date=2013-09-02}}</ref>

The rain usually arrives in two waves, at the beginning of June, and again in mid- to late June. The European monsoon is not a monsoon in the traditional sense in that it doesn't meet all the requirements to be classified as such. Instead, the return of the westerlies is more regarded as a conveyor belt that delivers a series of low-pressure centres to Western Europe where they create unsettled weather. These storms generally feature significantly lower-than-average temperatures, fierce rain or hail, thunder, and strong winds.<ref>{{cite news|author=Paul Simons|newspaper=The Times|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article6451573.ece|title='European Monsoon' to blame for cold and rainy start to June|access-date=2009-06-09|date=2009-06-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604174824/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article6451573.ece|archive-date=2011-06-04}}</ref>

The return of the westerlies affects Europe's Northern Atlantic coastline, more precisely Ireland, Great Britain, the [[Benelux|Benelux countries]], western Germany, northern France and parts of Scandinavia.